Various types of data storage devices are generally known. One common type of data storage device is a disc drive. The most basic parts of a disc drive are an information storage disc that is rotated, an actuator that moves a transducer to various locations over the disc, and electrical circuitry that is used to write and read data to and from the disc. Information representative of data is stored on the surface of the storage disc. Disc drive systems read and write information stored on tracks on storage discs. Transducers in the form of read/write heads read and write information on the storage discs when the transducers are accurately positioned over one of the designated tracks on the surface of the storage disc. The transducer is also said to be moved to a target track. As the storage disc spins and the read/write head is accurately positioned above a target track, the read/write head can store data onto a track by writing information representative of data onto the storage disc. Similarly, reading data on a storage disc is accomplished by positioning the read/write head above a target track and reading the stored material on the storage disc. To write on or read from different tracks, the read/write head is moved radially across the tracks to a selected target track.
One constant goal associated with disc drives is to increase the amount of data that can be stored on the disc drive. There are, of course, many characteristics that can be varied or adjusted for increasing the amount of data on a disc drive. One example is to increase the number of tracks per inch (“TPI”) that are positioned on the surface of a disc. Another way of saying the same thing is that the track density is increased. However, increasing the TPI or the track density must be balanced against other problems that may occur with the disc drive. For example, increasing the TPI or the track density, which allows more data to be packed into the same physical area, can increase the chance of off-track writes (mis-writes) that may destroy tracks adjacent to the data currently being written. The occurrence of off-track writes decreases the overall reliability of the disc drive.
What is needed, therefore, is a data storage device having a desired capacity while maintaining overall reliability of the device. What is also needed is a data storage device that overcomes disadvantages, limitations and shortcomings of known data storage devices.